Natone Football Club celebrates 50 years

By
MARK ACHESON

IT'S a family affair at the Natone Football Club, and no player or member is considered greater.

IT'S a family affair at the Natone Football Club, and no player or member is considered greater.

Natone Football Club members, back from left, co-coaches Joel Rawlings and Brayden Hayes, life member Rob Gillie, vice president Lyndal Luck and Heath Murfet are looking forward to celebrating 50 years in the Darwin Football Association with some of the club's Mini-Magpies. Picture: Katrina Docking.

"A senior player is no more important to our club than an average reserves player," life member Rob "Doc" Gillie said.

"Just because you are great football player doesn't mean you are any more important and we treat all members the same."

The Natone Football Club will celebrate 50 years as part of the Darwin Football Association on July 19.

A lot has changed since Mr Gillie joined the club in 1965, when it later amalgamated with other country sides to form the DFA.

Without the alliance of teams under the association, it would have been a three- team competition Mr Gillie said.

He recalled the year the reserve football teams in the area finally joined the DFA.

"There was one enormous change and our club was probably the instigator of it all," he said.

"In 1970 we had an abundance of players and we tried with the other teams in the competition to get a reserves competition going."

With 50 players training for Natone Mr Gillie said many didn't get a run on game day.

That changed when the popularity of reserve matches was recognised by the DFA in 1972.

The 69-year-old said the Natone Football Club was part of his life.

"I became a member in 1998, I played a bit over 200 games," he said. "I was never a good footy player but enjoyed every second of it."

Mr Gillie said the club was family orientated and nurtured the many children who watched or played the game.

"It gives a lot of young kids the chance to play footy and it gives them another outlook to life," he said.

For more information on the club's 50th celebrations contact 0429 675 498.